We have a 15, 13, and 11 year old and want to keep an eye on them. I was told only 2 ships can accomodate 5 and that the cabin would have a king, 2 uppers, and a trundle. Are we going to feel like sardines?

If you book at least an Oceanview or Balcony you can get everyone in the cabin, but sharing the bathroom could be tight, especially since you have teenagers. Another alternative would be to get connecting staterooms. These ships have the connecting rooms: Destiny, Triumph, Victory, Spirit, Pride, Legend, Miracle, Conquest, Glory, Valor and Liberty. That way you can keep an eye on the kids and still have a little privacy for mom and dad.

We had a connecting cabin for our 3 children on RCL's Vision of the Seas. This arrangement worked very well. I agree that it would be a very tight fit to get five people in a cabin.

Hi, we were upgraded to a cabin that slept 5 we were 3 adults and a child of 12, the only problem with the space was going to the bathroom at night so you would not step on any one as the trundle is on the floor, we decided to drop down the wall bunk and and not use the trundle as of course we did not need it, the sofa may be able to sleep the 2 smaller children if they get along ok. lol other wise you will use the trundle, they will only be used at night for sleeping as your steward will put everything away for during the day and believe me you guys will hardly be in your cabin, anyway so it really is a matter on how well the kids get along, it will sort of be like camping in a large tent only you will have a bathroom' is it a balcony cabin or outside or inside? you did not say, Fran

I was on the Elation last summer with my 15, 13, 11 and 7 year old sons- 5 in a cabin (and I am MOM). We had a BLAST! There was plenty of room. We had more laughs in that cabin than we have ever had in their lives. Is it tight? Yes. But there is PLENTY of room for clothes and personal items. The bathroom was just fine. We used two sets of bunks and a small rollaway (actually, my 11 year old slept on that more than my 7 year old). When we first boarded the room was erroneously set up with the king sized bed, two upper bunks, and the rollaway. It was VERY tight like that. After they switched it to the two sets of bunks it was fine. You might want to just set it up like that.

I strongly encourage you to put the whole family in one cabin. People will say that I am nuts but when I think back to me reading the Capers while the kids watched cartoons, all of us in one nest, I know that we would never have bonded the way we did if we had had two rooms. There was some insanity- the temptation is there to try to jump from top bunk to top bunk, hahaha- but that's part of the fun!

Here is my review- might help- http://www.cruisereviews.com/CarnivalCruiseLines/Elation79.htm

Hmmmm...A strange turn of events. A Carnival Cruise rep called me back and said, "I found a lower rate for you if you'll take 2 rooms next door to each other, instead of all 5 of you in the same room." Encouraging kids to get their own room seems a little strange. I worry about their safety, as well as mass chaos on the ship over spring break, with all these unsupervised kids! She claims there are no adjoing rooms left on the Triumph and the Victory has a few at $1200 additional.